Epson and WWF collaborate to conserve forests worldwide

Epson, a leading electronics and precision instruments corporation, has partnered with the global conservation organization WWF for a three-year international collaboration focused on forest restoration and conservation worldwide. 

This collaboration marks the first-ever partnership of a Japanese corporation in the electronics and precision instruments sector with WWF.

The new partnership follows an existing collaboration between the two organizations launched in March 2022, focusing on marine conservation in Southeast Asia. 

The current partnership will address three common environmental concerns:

• Epson’s environmental footprint
• Supporting WWF’s forest restoration and conservation projects in seven countries across four regions
• Promoting awareness about environmental issues

Epson plans to donate 240 million Japanese Yen (around 1.6 million euros) over the next three years to WWF forestry projects to achieve these objectives. Epson’s support will be aimed at nature recovery efforts and forest conservation activities implemented by WWF across several Deforestation Fronts.

Through this collaboration, Epson also aims to improve sustainability in its supply chain as a participant in WWF’s Forests Forward program. The partnership will also promote the responsible use of forest resources, including paper, in business and future efforts towards freshwater ecosystem conservation and a circular economy for a nature-positive world.

Yasunori Ogawa, global president of Epson, expressed his commitment to conserving the environment, reducing waste, and ensuring sustainable natural resource use. 

“The world is facing an environmental catastrophe, and we must act now to preserve our planet’s biodiversity before it is too late. To realize a future in which people can live in harmony with nature, the WWF is a perfect fit for Epson,” he stated.

Epson’s partnership with WWF to protect and restore forests continues to gain momentum. Recently, the two organizations announced that they are expanding their collaboration to include the Forests Forward program. This program focuses on safeguarding forests in critical areas threatened by deforestation and unsustainable land use practices.

According to the CEO of WWF-Japan, TOBAI, Sadayosi, this partnership is an essential step forward in accelerating efforts to prevent the degradation of nature. Forest ecosystem protection and responsible management have been a high priority in recent global discussions. This collaboration highlights the importance of private sector engagement in tackling environmental issues.

Epson and WWF have committed to saving threatened forests in vital landscapes within and beyond Epson’s supply chain by improving forest management and restoring nature. This initiative is part of Epson’s larger goal to become carbon negative and eliminate the use of non-renewable underground resources by 2050. The company is implementing a series of initiatives to achieve decarbonization, close the resource loop, and develop environmental technologies that reduce environmental impacts.

We must build on the momentum generated by recent global discussions on climate and biodiversity by making robust commitments and taking urgent transformative actions necessary to reverse biodiversity loss and build a more sustainable society. Epson’s partnership with WWF demonstrates the private sector’s role in protecting the environment and is a model for others to follow.